Rental Information and Fees

The Middlesex County Fire Academy will rent a classroom or the amphitheater to organizations for the purpose of conducting training for the emergency services community. All of the outdoor training props and the SCBA Maze are only available through the drill program.

Category 1:
Municipal, county, state and federal emergency agencies serving the public

Users will have fee waived

Category 2:
Municipal, county, state and federal emergency agencies serving the public that are charging a fee for their class.
Municipal, county, state and federal agencies and authorities serving the public.
Private companies in need of training for in house fire or emergency services.

Category 3:
Private companies, not in direct competition with the MCFA providing training for a fee to the fire or emergency services listed in categories 1 and 2 as well as municipal emergency service agencies.
Fee can be satisfied or offset by in kind value/services to Middlesex County, its departments and agencies

After renting one of the above spaces, additional spaces of each or lesser size may be rented for the same time period at the following rates:

REGISTRATION

The following regulations must be followed for registering at the MCFA:

1. When scheduling drills to be held at MCFA, you must submit the training area(s) you will require and the type of expendables you would like to use. For specific information regarding types of expendables and quantities which have been approved for use at MCFA, please contact the office during business hours.
2. All drills must be requested through the use of the Fire Department Drill Application. Verbal requests will be held for 7 days pending receipt of an application form.
3. The current fee for drills includes the use of only one training area, 3 safety officers, and expendables, for a 3-hour period. Additional areas with expendables for one or consecutive drill sessions (such as a weekend morning and afternoon), are available at additional cost.
4. One drill application must be filled out completely and submitted for each drill requested. Application must be received at least two weeks before date of drill.
5. An outline of the drill must be attached. This outline shall include the following:
   1. name of the drill
   2. the objective
   3. the estimated length of time
   4. what you expect the firefighters to accomplish
   5. what equipment will be used
   6. the name of the person in charge
   
   

   NOTE: Any fire department who does not submit an outline at least two weeks prior to their drill will be required to use a Fire Academy lesson plan chosen by Academy staff and will be subject to an additional fee for an extra instructor to conduct the drill.

6. If your company does not have an outline, you may contact MCFA and we will send you possible training evolutions which may be used for drill programs.
7. A drill request may be denied if it conflicts with a MCFA class or pre-scheduled drill. Drills may be postponed due to possible unsafe conditions resulting from weather. Such conditions include freezing water in winter or ladder use during thunderstorms.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

If you need to cancel for any reason, you must do so in writing at least one (1) week prior to the starting date of the drill. LIVE FIRE TRAINING: Any drills that involve live fire training shall be following and in compliance with NFPA Std. 1403, Live Fire Training Evolutions in Structures, 1992 edition.

PREREQUISITES:

When a drill is held at, or in conjunction with, the MCFA, the sponsoring organization shall be responsible for ensuring that each participant is adequately trained to perform the tasks assigned to him or her during that specific training session.

DRILL SESSION HOURS:

Weekday hours are divided into three periods:

• 9:00 AM to Noon
• 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
• 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM

Weekend hours are from:

• 9:00 AM to Noon
• 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

FEES:

In-county fire departments:

• 3 hours $236.00
• 6 hours $341.00

Out of county fire departments:

• 3 hours $420.00
• 6 hours $630.00

EXPENDABLES & FREQUENCY:

• Drills involving Class A burns in the Burn Building and the Tower include 10 bales of straw and 4 burns for a three-hour session. Six-hour sessions include 16 bales of straw and 7 burns. Straw will be an additional $7.50 per bale. Additional expendables will be at the discretion of the MCFA.
• Flammable gas drills include 6 burns over a three-hour period or 10 burns for a six-hour period.
• The frequencies of scenarios for Hazmat and rescue drills are at the discretion of the fire department, or company.

TAXPAYER BURN BUILDING:

In-county fire departments

• 3 hours $289.00
• 6 hours $394.00

Out of county fire departments

• 3 hours $472.00
• 6 hours $683.00

Drills involving ventilation will receive 5 sheets of plywood for a three (3) hour session and 10 sheets for a six (6) hour session. Plywood will be an additional $15.00 extra per sheet.

FLAMMABLE LIQUID DRILLS:

In-county fire departments:

• 3 hours $394.00
• 6 hours $604.00

Out of county fire departments:

• 3 hours $577.00
• 6 hours $893.00

Flammable liquid drills will include up to a maximum of 200 gallons of fuel. Any additional fuel will be billed to the fire department/brigade renting the facility at an additional cost. The types of props being used will determine the frequency of evolutions on the Flammable Liquid Pad.

NOTE: No flammable or combustible liquids are to be used in the Burn Building (Building #4) or the Tower (Building #3).

RIGHT OF REFUSAL:

The MCFA reserves the right to refuse any drill application, if, in the opinion of the staff, a drill proposal would:

• pose possible harm to personnel directly or indirectly involved in the drill.
• cause damage to any fire department or fire academy property.
• go against nationally accepted safe practices for firefighting and fire training.

FIRE TRAINING EQUIPMENT:

The fire department will provide all their own fire equipment for the drill. If a specific piece of equipment from the academy is needed, a request for it should be submitted with the drill application form.

USE OF LIVE VICTIMS:

Any training drills performed at the fire academy shall not use any personnel as victims for any evolutions. The term "personnel" shall include any member of the fire department or anyone connected directly or indirectly with that organization, or any fire academy personnel.

Only inanimate objects will be used as victims. This will include fire training dummies, hose dummies, mannequins, etc.

PROCEDURES FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT DRILL SESSIONS:

1. The chief, training officer, or representative from the fire department shall report to the MCFA instructor upon arrival at the academy grounds. No department, or member of a department, shall enter the fenced-in training area unless accompanied by an MCFA instructor. Absolutely no private vehicles are permitted within the fenced-in training area during a drill session.
2. The officer in charge shall provide a roster of personnel involved in the training evolution and certify that they meet the prerequisites. He or she shall also certify that they have emergency medical support and the name(s) of those individual(s).
3. Prior to any evolution, a pre-evolution briefing session will be conducted. This will include:
   1. An overview of the MCFA rules and regulations
   2. Description of the crew assignments
   3. Familiarization with the training area.
4. All fuels used for live fire training will be set up under the direct supervision of a MCFA fire instructor.
5. Three fire instructors shall be the evolution safety officers for live burn or any other type of evolution.
6. There shall be a 5:1 ratio of firefighters to training officer for any live burn evolutions.
7. The fire department shall provide certified emergency medical personnel for their training evolutions. These individuals shall be EMT-A certified. The EMT may not participate in evolutions unless replaced by another EMT. If an EMT is not available, the MCFA can provide one at $125.00 for a three-hour session or $250.00 for a six-hour session.
8. Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) shall be worn by firefighters and instructor(s) under the following conditions:
   1. Oxygen deficient or contaminated atmospheres.
   2. Elevated temperature environments.
   3. Below ground-level locations.
9. Any fire department training officer running the training evolution shall meet requirements of Fire Service Instructor Level II, as per N.J.A.C. 5:18C. If the department does not have access to a certified instructor, the MCFA can provide one for a fee of $125.00 for a three (3) hour session or $250.00 for a six (6) hour session.
10. Any fire(s) ignited shall be under the direct supervision of the MCFA instructor/safety officer.
11. Only MCFA staff shall be permitted to operate the controls for fuel or ignition of fuels at any live burn evolutions and any controls pertaining to the water supply system.
12. All emergency vehicle operators shall be certified by their department to operate their equipment.
13. All drills include safety officers and expendables to complete the evolutions. If a fire department/brigade requires the use of an apparatus, the Fire Academy can provide one for your use at $125.00 for a three-(3) hour session or $250.00 for a six-(6) hour session.

All drills require an outline to be submitted to the Middlesex County Fire Academy (MCFA) at least two weeks prior to the drill date. If suggestions for an outline of scenarios are needed, contact the MCFA for a selection of possible evolutions.

The Fire Safety Trailer is a mobile, travel trailer that is a scaled down to a kid sized, two-story house.  The trailer interior is designed with a walk through a kitchen, living room and bedroom.  As the students walk through, they are instructed to spot fire hazards and will practice simple methods of eliminating potentially dangerous situations.

They will have the experience of feeling an actual ‘hot door’, a live fire demonstration and home sprinkler system activation. 

At the conclusion of the tour, the students will be able to exit the ‘house’ by escape ladder as the trailer fills with non-toxic smoke making their experience both educational and fun!